In an apparent move to save the Question Hour from being disrupted and lost, Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari announced that from Monday, it would be shifted to the post-lunch session.
From March 7, the Question Hour will be held every day between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. except on Friday when it would be between 2.30 p.m. and 3.30 p.m. Traditionally, the first hour of every sitting — 11 a.m. — is available for members to ask questions from the government and Ministers to respond to them.
“It has been observed that Members tend to raise matters of concern during and at the expense of the Question Hour. I have, therefore, decided after consultation and in terms of the Rule 38 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States that with effect from March 7, 2011 the period from 2 to 3 p.m. of every sitting [and 2.30 to 3.30 p.m. on Fridays] shall be available for the asking and answering of question,” Mr. Ansari said in the House on Friday.
Rule 38 reads: “Time for questions: Unless the Chairman otherwise directs, the first hour of every sitting shall be available for asking and answering of questions.'' As early as March 15 last year towards the end of the first half of the budget session, while expressing concern over growing instances of disruption of the Question Hour, Mr. Ansari mooted the idea of shifting it in order to maintain its inviolability.
When M. Venkaiah Naidu sought to know what would be taken up in the first hour, the Chairman said the House would start with matters to be raised with the permission of the Chair.
Later in the evening officials in the Chairman's office maintained the move would be on an experimental basis and its impact would be evaluated for further action amid reports that many members were taken by surprise by the announcement with some stating on condition of anonymity that while the issue was discussed with leaders of various political parties, there was no consensus.
The Chairman's office said the change would be for the remaining period of the current session and should not be seen as a comment on the behaviour of members, who would have time at the start of the proceedings to raise issues of importance and concern as soon as the House assembles, which has at times resulted in loss of Question Hour. At times it has been seen that members demand suspension of Question Hour in order to take up the issue at hand which they seek to raise, resulting in the proceedings getting affected.
While Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said the government conveyed to the Chair that it was comfortable with the decision, Arun Jaitley, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, refused comment.
During the March 2010 meeting, besides suggesting shifting the Question Hour, Mr. Ansari said, the Zero Hour, which follows the Question Hour now, could be advanced for members to make submission on issues of importance. As a measure to streamline and ensure that the precious hour was effectively utilised, amendments were made last December to rules governing the conduct of the Question Hour, whereby no starred question, to which Ministers reply orally on the floor of the Hose, did not go unanswered on account of the absence of the member in whose name it is listed.
